Preps for Bali Hindus’ New Year in full swing

Transcript

00:00 To Balinese Hindus, it is New Year in their calendar, and today, the 11th of March, is New Year's Day.

00:06 But it is a day observed with silence, contemplation and introspection to kick off what lies ahead.

00:12 But in the week and a half leading to yesterday, Balinese Hindus took to the streets for lots of festive celebration,

00:18 with rituals of fire purification as the major element to cleanse themselves and conquer the evil spirits and demons around them.

00:26 They paraded their larger-than-life effigies on the streets, burning those representing evil, ultimately as onlookers clapped and cheered.

00:35 Both tourists and locals noted a more enthusiastic and louder celebration this year,

00:40 signifying a complete liberation from the pandemic restrictions that held them up over the last three years.